Multipurpose bomb



W. L. WHITE MULTIPURPOSE BOMB Filed Feb. '27. 19 68 INVEN TOR. WA LTER L.WH|TE BY U X hl'S ATTORNEY 3,482,514 MULTIPURPOSE'BOMB L. White, 5790 Horseshoe Drive, I Bethel Park, Pa. 15102 Filed Feb.;2 7, 1968, Ser. No. 708,548 7 I InhCl. F42b 25/00 U.S.Cl.102--2 I f' a FWalter nose cone for another as well as a different tail piece. The nose cone assembly for -the ae'rial bomb involves a balanced springarrangement for the firing pin which eliminates critical tolerances and facilitates manufacture and assembly. The construction" is greatly simplified over previous bombs so that it may be' easily and quickly made of either aluminum or steel at considerably less cost. 1

This inventionrelates to aspecial purpose explosive device or bomb which may be selectively used either as a hand-carried and placed clockwork timed bomb or as w an aerial bomb designed for dropping by light aircraft over a dense undergrowth or jungle.

An outstandig disadvantage of well known types of bombs, particularly aerial bombs, is that they are complicated in construction and require very close manufacturing tolerances which prevent large scale manufacture at a sufiiciently high rate of production to meet war emergencies. One disadvantage is in the mounting of the firing pin and the maintenance of a suitable and constant spacing between the pointed end of the firing pin and the detonating cartridge.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose explosive device which overcomes the abovenamed disadvantages.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel bomb body construction to enable selective use as a timing bomb or an aerial bomb by use of the same basic body construction.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a novel balanced spring mounting for the firing pin of an aerial bomb to simplify assembly and to insure maintenance of a predetermined and constant gap between the firing pin end and the detonating cartridge.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinally, cross-sectional view of a clockwork timed bomb embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the tail piece shown in FIG- 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the timer assembly included within the nose piece of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the bomb body of FIG. 1 with a diffierent nose assembly for use as an aerial bomb.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1 generally denotes a clock timed device or bomb, preferably made of aluminum or other light metal and including a cylindrical body portion 2 which is compartmented so as to have a forward compartment 5 of the main body shell which may be filled with perhaps eight or more sticks of-dynamite, and a rear compartment 6 which may be loaded with steel balls, Napalm or other suitable projectiles. A forward partition or closure disc 3,482,514 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 is .screw threaded to the forward end of compartment 5 and is provided with a central hole 13.

The forward end of the main body shell 2 is internally threaded for receiving either a nose cone 3 which'includes a timer assembly as shown in FIG. 1 when used as a time. bomb, or a nose cone 20 and its firing pm assembly as shown in FIG. 4 when the device is to be used as an aerial bomb. It is only when the deviceis used as an aerial bomb that a tail assembly such as shown in FIG. 2, must be used, including radially extending fins 7 which are held in place by trusses 8 connected together and to the radial fins 7 at their outer ends. The tail assembly is mounted on a cylinder 30 which is fitted on handle 4, which handle is used for the purpose of throwing the assembly when used as a hand grenade. e v

In the use of the device as a clock timed device, as shown in FIG. 1 but exclusive of the tail piece as shown in FIG. 2, there is provided in the nose piece 3, a rubber wedge 31 supporting a timer motor 11 energized by a 9-vo1t battery 16, or one of other voltage, which is connected in series with fixed and movable contacts 17, the movable contact being rotated by an arm of the clock work timer motor, as-shown, so that when the contacts come together, a circuit will be completed throughthe electric percussion cap 15 located in compartment 5 with the lead-in wires thereto extending through hole 13 so as to detonate the explosive charge in the forward compartment 5. A timer setting knob 10 is provided for varying the time period in a well known manner. It should be understood that the timer may be of any suitable, well known type, the details of construction per se of which form no part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the nose cone 20 and its assembly when the device is to be used as an aerial bomb or perhaps as a hand grenade. In the latter instance, handle 4 of FIG. 1 is used without the tail piece for gripping and throwing the grenade at its target.

The nose cone 20 is very simply manufactured merely by forming two cylindrical wells or holes in opposite ends thereof and longitudinal axial hole through which a firing pin 22 is inserted. By means of pins, such as cotter pins, a striker 21 is rigidly connected to the firing pin 22. Cotter pin 19 has ends which extend through the space between the striker 21 and nose cone 20 to serve as a safety element or arming pin to prevent sliding movement of the firing pin 22 when the bomb is stored or is being carried by an airplane. When the bomber wishes to release the bomb, he will first withdraw cotter pins 19 by arming wire or other suitable retracting means.

A unique feature in the mounting of the firing pin 22 is the provision of balanced helical springs 23 and 24, the end of the latter being held by a spring retainer or washer 25 which is prevented from longitudinal movement by means of a radial pin 18 on firing pin 22. Such arrangement provides a predetermined gap between the pointed end 26 of the firing pin and the cartridge 27, such as a 38 caliber blank cartridge. The gap is preferably about /8 inch, plus or minus inch. Similarly the space between nose cone 20 and striker 27 is held to about inch, plus or minus inch.

In operation, after the arming pin or safety cotter pin 19 is withdrawn by aircraft arming wire at the time of salvo, the bomb is dropped from the airplane and guided by fins 7 in its descent to the target on the ground until striker 21 hits the target causing firing pin 22 to move rearwardly relative the cone 20, thereby compressing spring 23 until the pointed end 26 strikes and detonates cartridge 27 causing an explosion in compartment 5 which will effect shattering of the projectiles in comcompartment 6.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a highly elficient, rnulti-piirp'o'se bomb device which is easily and quickly convertible for use as a hand grenade, a time actuated bomb, or an aerial bomb by the use of the same main body or shell and by the substitution of only the nose cone and possibly by slipping on of the tail assembly which can be elfected'simply and'quickly with parts of simple and inexpensive construction; further more, I haveprovided" a bomb assembly including a nose cone with a balanced spring for yieldably maintain ing thefiring pin at a predetermined distance from the cartridge, which distance is easily maintained at a constant value without precision manufacturing of parts; also I have provided an arming pin which is simple in construction and is easily' inserted or withdrawn.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of myinvention it will be understood that these are by way of illustration only, and that various changes 7 and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the fol lowing claims.

I claim:

1. A bomb comprising an explosive containing compatrnent means, a nose cone detachably secured to the forward end of said compartment means, said nose cone being provided with a well portion :in each end thereof and with an axially extending hole, a striker, a firing pin secured to said striker and'extending through said hole of said nose cone, a balanced spring assembly including a helical spring in each of said well portions and which surrounds said firing pin, the spring in the forward well portion having ends seated against the rear portion of said striker and the "bottom of the forward well "portion, the other spring having one end seated in the rearward well portion and its other end seated on a spring retainer secured to said-firing pin, said detonating means comprising a cartridge ;loc'at ed--in-a hole in a forward closure wall, whereby a, predetermined gapis. maintained between a pointed end ofsaidJfiringpin and said cartridge, which gap is dependent solely upon-the differential pressure of said springs, 'and anarmingpin extending in the space between said striker and said nose cone, which pin extends through-said striker and firing pin to prevent axial moverneubof said firing pin when said bomb is to be inoperative. 1 2. A bomb as recited inclaiml wherein said:c0rnpartment means ineludes a forward. -chamb'er,for .receiving explosive and a rearchambe'r for receiving projectiles.

" References Cited; i

UNITED STATES- PATENTS' 1,272,984. 7/1913 ,Mutro, 102-67 1,313,129 3/1919 Smith m-. 10 2 s3 2,334,062 11/1943, 2,354,039 7/1944 2,830,538 4/1958 SAMUEL- W.'ENGLE, Primary Examiner- Us. 101. x11. j 102 73, 84 i 

